1. Parts of Speech
Nouns
Sam An Teng
July 2013

2. DEFINITION
• A noun is a word used to name a
person, animal, place, thing, and abstract idea. For
examples, teacher, tiger, school, car, health, happines
s…

3. TYPES OF NOUNS: Common vs. Proper Nouns
• Nouns can be classified into two big groups: common nouns
and proper nouns.
• [1] Common nouns: A common noun is a general or class
name. It refers to a person, place, or thing in a general;
as, woman, city, dog, shoe, sea, village, mountain…
• [2] Proper nouns: A proper noun is a noun that names some
particular or special place, person, people, or thing. A proper
noun should always begin with a capital letter;
as, Bopha, Phnom Penh, the World Bank, Samsung, the Red
Sea, Cambodia, …

4. TYPES OF NOUNS: Concrete vs. Abstract Nouns
• Common nouns are also classified into smaller groups:
Concrete and abstract nouns.
• Concrete nouns: These name something that you can perceive
with your five senses – something that physically exists;
as, table, school, car, horse, ship…
• Abstract nouns: These are the opposite of concrete. They
name something that you cannot perceive with your five
senses – something that does not physically exist;
as, education, kindness, health, happiness, ...

5. TYPES OF NOUNS: Count vs. Non-count Nouns
• Nouns can be classified into two big groups: common count
and non-count nouns.
• Count Nouns (Countable nouns): Count nouns are nouns that
we can count. It has a singular and a plural form. To make it
plural, we need to add –s / -es to the singular noun. For
examples, one book, three books; a leg, two legs; an apple, six
apples…
• Non-count nouns (mass or uncountable nouns): Mass nouns
are nouns that we cannot count. It has no plural form (always
in singular form, and takes singular verb). For
examples, fruit, some fruit; bread, a slice of bread;
homework…

6. TYPES OF NOUNS:
Collective & Compound Nouns
• Collective Nouns: A collective noun is a noun naming a group
of things, animals, or persons. We can count the individual
members of the group, but you usually think of the group as a
whole is generally as one unit;
as, army, company, firm, public, audience, corporation, group,
school, board, council, jury, senate, cabinet, department, majo
rity, society, class, faculty, minority, team, committee, family, n
avy, troupe,…
• Compound Nouns: Compound noun is a combination of two
nouns. The two nouns form a new word. Normally, the first
noun modifies the second one;
as, policeman, boyfriend, water tank, dining-table, bedroom…

7. FUNCTION OF NOUNS (1)
• Nouns, in sentences, can function as:
[1] subject: Subject tells whom or what the sentence is about;
as,
– Samnang works in a bank.
– Economics is an interesting subject.
[2] direct object: direct object receives the action of the verb; as,
– He eats ice cream.
– They play tennis.

8. FUNCTION OF NOUNS (2)
• Nouns, in sentences, can function as:
[3] indirect object: Indirect object receives the direct object; as,
– He bought his friend a pen.
– The company offers Thavy a new position.
[4] object of preposition: Object of the preposition is the noun
or pronoun after a preposition; as,
– The boy was hurt in the accident.
– The driver filled the fuel tank of the bus.

9. FUNCTION OF NOUNS (3)
• Nouns, in sentences, can function as:
[5] subject complement: Predicate nominative renames the
subject, always after a linking verb; as,
– I am a candidate.
– I am the owner of that Café.
[6] object complement: Object complement completes the
direct object; as,
– I considered him brother.
– They elected Bunna President.

10. FUNCTION OF NOUNS (4)
• Nouns, in sentences, can function as:
[7] appositive: An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed near
another noun or pronoun. The appositive enhances our
understanding of the original noun or pronoun; as,
– Ravy, our class monitor, studies very hard.
– Her sister, Anna, was an intelligent student.
[8] adjective: Noun functions as adjective when it modifies
another noun functions as adjective; as,
– The water pump is broken.
– She wore sport clothes.

11. AVAILABLE BOOKS
This lesson is available in Kindle Store:
Parts of Speech in English
Related publications:
English Grammar: The Verb Tenses
Phrases and Clauses in English

12. FREE LESSONS ONLINE
• If you wish to read free lessons, please click the links
below:
• http://grammarkit.blogspot.com
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